Still, the overnight ratings for the Series — which have dwindled over the years — were 8 percent below last year's overnights for Game 1. Fox can only hope the Fall Classic will go beyond four or five games, because interest substantially builds for sixth and seventh games

Last year's five-game Series averaged 14.2 million viewers — the second-lowest after 13.6 million in 2008. In 2009, the New York Yankees-Philadelphia Phillies series drew 19.4 million viewers.